Ox meat * Beef meat

[dorset 1954]

I've just read through the answers to "Is ox meat beef?" - 28/9/04. Some I knew, but a few niggling questions remain: these concern the meat that used to be referred to as "ox" (offal, I suppose), such as oxtail, ox kidney, ox heart, ox cheek. I understand that, post-BSE regs., none of this is available. And ox cheek is too disgusting, except to give to the dog. But you cannot make proper steak + kidney with pigs kidneys. But, to get on with it, was it only the mature cattle's offal that was used ........ or were these "bits" of young cattle used, but still called "ox"?

[New Forester]

This is a case where "ox" means any bovine, like in ox-cart -- sorry, I forgot about that. Rather like neat's-foot oil -- neat is an old name for cattle, but is now only used for the foot-oil (used for treating leather). Likewise the modern townie trend is to call all cattle "cows" -- including, as I once heard said to a child: "Look at that daddy cow". Ugh! Many of the cattle words had broader, or different meanings in the past. Heifer, for example, used to mean young beast of either sex. Ox-tail still seems to be allowed (ours come back with the carcase), though I don't know why as it has spinal cord in it. Kidney, heart, lights and liver are definitely OK, but not spleen, guts or blood. Nor brains of course. I bet cheek would be OK if you minced it fine enough...

[New Forester]

PS -- You should taste our steak & kidney pud. To die for! Taking orders for mid-November...

[dorset 1954]

Thank you. That's interesting about the offal and tail. Even more interesting about the pud!!! I'll be in touch.

[partyqueen]

i knew i shouldn't have read this before my tea heh heh